Love You Baby
by Emo Bangs
Summary: James and Kendall discover the joys and fears of becoming parents. Will they be able to handle it all? Kames mpreg.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've had this idea in my mind for a while. And I just starting writing it today. This is really more of a preview than an actual chapter. Let me know if you guys are interested in reading more of it.**

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><p><em>Rushed, mingled breaths filled the room, love and adoration in the atmosphere. There was a disbelieving content that both boys felt, shocked almost that they had just taken that next step in their relationship. They were slowly coming down from equal highs, lying beside each other silently, speechless. There were no words to describe the way they were feeling. Such an amazing high their love provided. They knew that nothing in the world could possibly ruin this moment. <em>

"Can you believe its already been a month since our first time?" Kendall murmured softly against James' temple as they resided on the couch in Kendall's living room. The TV was playing in the background, neither boy particularly paying much attention to it. Kendall had his arm around James' shoulder, letting the brunette rest against his side. James' head was resting on the blonde's shoulder, eyes slipping shut every few seconds. His breaths were slow and relaxed, the rise and fall of his chest resembling that if he was sleeping. It was only a matter of seconds before the brunette actually fell asleep.

James shook his head lightly against Kendall's shoulder. He didn't utter a single word, obviously too exhausted for speech.

"What's up with you lately babe?" Kendall asked, voice filled with concern and rubbed a hand up and down James' arm, attempting to get his attention.

"Hmmm?" James hummed in question, sweet hazel eyes fluttering open and gazing up at his boyfriend.

"What's up with you lately?" he repeated softly, green eyes meeting with James'.

James offered a small shrug, "I don't know. I guess I just haven't been getting enough sleep recently. I've been really tired."

"Then why don't we go up to bed?" Kendall suggested quietly, fingertips brushing along James' arm in a soothing manner. "You can just stay here tonight."

James nodded slowly, "Only if you carry me," he replied cutely, glancing up at Kendall with irresistible, puppy dog eyes.

Kendall chuckled and stood up from the couch, bending over to scoop James up into his arms. He carried his boyfriend up to his bed, lying him down against the pillows, pulling the covers over his body. Leaning down, he placed a gentle, loving kiss to his forehead, silently hoping that a good night's sleep would fix James' recent lack of energy.

He let his fingers brush back James' hair, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching as his boyfriend almost immediately fell asleep. He wondered if everything James was trying to do was spreading him thin. Between school, hockey practice and after school choir practice, it was no wonder James was so exhausted. He just wondered how long this could last before it started to hinder his health.

Either way, he was going to be there for the sleeping boy. The promise ring circling his left ring finger promised that he always he would, in sickness or in health, for better or for worse. Kendall just hoped for James' sake that it was the former, unable to stand the thought of something happening to James.


	2. Chapter 2

Monday morning and Kendall was among the minority of the population who actually looked forward to said time of the week. Most people despised this particular morning since it was the start of a brand new week but more importantly the end of the weekend. For Kendall, it was just that but a whole lot more. The end of the weekend, the first day back to school meant that he would get to see James again. After a whole day apart (James' mom insisting they spend Sundays together as a family), Kendall was looking forward to seeing, holding and kissing his boyfriend again. A day was far too long to spend away from each other.

Even though, he rolled out of bed far too early that morning and yet, he still felt refreshed and awake. Just the thought of seeing James put him in a great mood. After a quick shower, he returned to his room and threw on some skinny jeans and a flannel button up. He dabbed on some of James' favorite cologne and headed downstairs to get his shoes and backpack. Grabbing his keys, he yelled his departure to his mom in the kitchen then headed out the door.

After plugging in his iPod and setting it to a playlist of his favorite bands (most Taking Back Sunday and Incubus), he made his way towards James' house, a smile on his face the entire way there. Shutting off his car, he pocketed his keys and jogged up to James' front door, knocking firmly on it. He tried to hide the shudder that racked his body when James' mom opened the door. The woman was a little more than intimidating and even after two years of dating and almost a lifetime of friendship, he was still slightly frightened by the other woman.

"Hey Ms. Diamond," he greeted cheerfully anyways. "Is James ready yet?"

"I don't think he's going to make it today Kendall," the woman replied, her arms crossed over her chest. "He's been in the bathroom all morning puking his guts up. My poor baby."

"Can I go check on him?" Kendall asked, concern clearly written all over his face.

James' mom nodded and stepped aside, allowing her son's boyfriend to step inside. Kendall made his way upstairs to James' bathroom, softly rapping his knuckles against the door. He pushed it open after his only answer was a muffled moan, quietly stepping into the bathroom. His heart ached when he saw James kneeling in front of the toilet, looking absolutely miserable. His heart was pushed back, glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. His forearm was resting against the far edge of the toilet bowl, his head resting down on that. Kendall cringed as his boyfriend's body lurched forward, emptying whatever was left in his stomach.

"How're you feelin' babe?" he said softly, crouching down beside the other boy, rubbing his hand up and down his back in a hopefully soothing manner.

James' head rolled to the side on his arm so that he was looking up at his boyfriend. His eyes were half-lidded, struggling to remain open. A miserable moan was the only sound of response he got from the other boy.

"I'm guessing you're staying home today then," Kendall assumed gently, continuing to run his hand along James' back, slipping it underneath his shirt, stroking the warm skin underneath.

James whimpered, making the slightest effort to shake his head. "I can't," he murmured, confliction evident in his voice. "I have a test today in history and hockey practice after school."

"Jamesy," the blond chuckled, "I'm sure you can make up the test and it's okay if you miss one hockey practice."

"No, I can't," the brunette almost whined, breathing rushed and ragged. "You know Mr. Wilson, no make ups and we have that game against Duluth that we need to train for."

"You're in no condition," Kendall sighed, pushing James' hair back, combing his fingers through it.

"I'm fine," James whispered, slowly pushing himself away from the toilet and shakily pushing himself onto his feet. Kendall was right beside him to catch him as he swayed, head pounding as the world spun beneath his feet.

"James," Kendall tried to persist but James immediately cut him off.

"I'm fine," he insisted weakly, taking a careful step towards his room. With Kendall's help, he made his way towards his bedroom and picked out some clothes for the day. Leaning against his dresser, he brought his hand to cover his mouth, biting back onto wave of nausea.

Kendall absolutely hated seeing his boyfriend like this but there was nothing he could do to change his mind. James was strong-headed and determined. Much like his mother, he'd get anything he wanted one way or another so Kendall figured it was pointless to argue any further. Instead, he decided to just help the other boy however he could. He especially didn't mind helping James get dressed that morning. And as he helped James tug on his long sleeve shirt, he couldn't help but brush his lips against James' forehead, noticing how warm his skin felt.

Once they were finally ready, Kendall resisted the strong urge to pick James up and carry him out to the car. Instead, he wrapped his arm around James' waist, letting the other boy lean against him as they slowly made their way down to his car. Kendall could tel already that it was going to be one of those days.

Luckily, by the time lunch rolled around, James' nausea seemed to just disappear. He wasn't dizzy anymore and he no longer felt the need to puke his guts out. The rest of the day seemed to fly by after that and before they knew it, they were both at hockey practice. Kendall was a little worried that James' illness would come back but he tried to just focus on the scrimmage game they were playing.

James had no clue what had caused his violent illness that morning but he was feeling much now and was extremely happy with the fact. He was so glad that he was feeling better, feeling less stressed and worried about his hectic day. Now all he had to do was get through hockey practice and he could rest at home with his boyfriend. He had never been more relieved to hear their coach announce their last scrimmage round before practice was over.

From across the ice, he smiled over at Kendall, as if silently communicating their plans after practice. Kendall winked at his boyfriend, as if agreeing with James' silent suggestions. Before this moment could go any further though, it was abruptly and harshly interrupted as a teammate tackled James to the side, slamming him against the boards with a hard thud. It wasn't as if this was the first time this had happened, it wasn't as if it was the hundredth time it had happened. This was almost a daily occurrence in hockey and James had gotten use to the pain that accompanied it.

But as James slid to the ground, he couldn't help but note that the stabbing pain in his stomach was _not _normal. He clenched his teeth, face contorted in pain as he tried his hardest to breathe through it. Mere seconds later, he could hear Kendall yelling his name and rushing over to his side. With shaky hands, the blond boy removed his helmet, brushing back his sweaty bangs. Their whole team was crowding around him now, questioning, worried stares cast down at him.

"Kendy," James practically sobbed, arms clutching his stomach, lips quivering with a pained whimper. "Fuck, it hurts."

And the last thing James remembered was hearing Kendall screaming for someone to call 911 and his shaky fingers brushing over his forehead. "Everything's gonna be okay baby."

Right before his eyes slipped shut, he could only hope that was true.

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><p><strong>AN: I swear that was the most cliched cliff-hanger but oh well. I was totally going to divide the chapters differently but I figured this was a good stopping point and I didn't want to divulge too much of the story too early. Next chapter is when things start getting really fun. **

**Such speedy updates are rare but I was just blown away at the response to this so it kinda got my pumped to write another chapter. Hint hint. Just sayin'.**


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of the ambulance sirens was deafening to his hazy mind. Every sound seemed to be magnified, soft voices beside him almost sounding like yelling in his ears. All he saw was black, his eyes too heavy to open.

"Sixteen year old male. Possible internal bleeding. In and out of consciousness."

Beyond the sharp pain still residing in his stomach, he could feel a hand holding his own, a thumb stroking across the back of his hand. "Everything's going to be okay." _Kendall. _

James had been so consumed with pain that he hadn't even realized that Kendall had climbed in with him. Then again, he'd been unconscious for the majority of this ordeal.

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><p>The next thing James remembered was waking up in a hospital bed, inexpressibly happy that he no longer felt that stabbing pain in his stomach. His eyes quickly scanned around the room, an incredible unease creeping up on him at the realization that Kendall was nowhere to be seen. Everything seemed less scary with his boyfriend by his side.<p>

He hadn't even been up for five minutes before the door to his room was opening and he found his whole body yearning for it to be the blond boy. He was only slightly disappointed when a doctor entered the room instead. There was a brief moment of conflicting confusion and uncertainty that passed the doctor's face and James was convinced that he was dying. It seemed like an eternity before the doctor finally started speaking.

"James," she began, pausing as if to choose her words carefully and James' eyes teared up in fear of the terrible news he was surely about to receive. "There are a lot of surprises in the medical field. There are hundreds of unsolved, unlinked mysteries that there are maybe, one in a million people affected."

"Oh god," he mumbled in horror, "I'm going to die from some rare disease with no cure." His eyes seemed to widen in realization. "I'm too pretty to die so young!"

"You're not dying anytime soon James," she assured him, hesitating briefly before adding, "And neither will your baby."

"I'm sorry, my _what?_" James questioned, shock and confusion etched all over his face. He sat up in bed, staring the doctor down like she was crazy, because it was pretty outrageous to think a _guy _was, could actually, get pregnant.

"I know it sounds crazy James," she reasoned and James wondered if she really did understand how ridiculous she sounded. "There have been a few cases in the US alone..."

"That doesn't really make this any less insane!" the pretty boy exclaimed, perhaps out of denial, perhaps just disbelief.

"Before you completely disregard this, I want to show you something." She pulled out two pictures out of the folder she held, handing one to James. "This is a sonogram of a woman who is one month pregnant." She handed him the second picture. "This is yours from an hour ago."

The resemblance between the two pictures was startlingly similar, almost appearing to be two copies of the same picture. James shoved them away, believing, for a second, that this was the truth, that this was real. "It has to be a growth...or a tumor or something!"

"Do you honestly think I didn't test every other possibility?" the woman questioned softly, "Trust me, I'm just as shocked as you."

"I don't know," James muttered, shaking his head slowly, finding the information hadn't quite absorbed yet. "I think I've got a slight leg up here."

The doctor could only nod in agreement. "There's a boy outside waiting for you. Do you want me to send him in?"

James heart rate increased tenfold at the mention of his boyfriend. In all this surprise and disbelief, he had completely forgotten about the blond and the huge role he played in all of this. How was Kendalll going to react to the news that he was going to be a dad? For a moment, James thought he was going to be sick all over again.

Biting his lip nervously, he nodded his head, eyes squeezed shut as each passing second seemed agonizingly slow. In reality, Kendall was by his side in a matter of seconds, rushing to his beside the second he entered the room. He couldn't help the soft smile that upturned his lips as the blond reached up and brushed his hair back. The action _almost _calmed his nerves.

"Thank god you're okay," Kendall sighed, letting his lips brush against James' forehead.

"Yeah," James agreed slowly, his hands beginning to shake as he continued, "We're okay."

James couldn't describe the worry that shook his body at the way Kendall's face contorted in confusion. "What do you mean 'we're'?"

James reached forward silently, grabbing the evidence and handing the two pictures to his boyfriend. He averted his gaze from Kendall's face, finding he didn't want to see the anger or disgust that would soon be painted upon there. Instead, he stared at the white walls of the hospital room, soft brown eyes filling with tears of fear, worry and confusion.

"You can't mean..." Kendall wanted to negate what these pictures were implying because it sounded just to insane to be true. "That's not even possible."

"That's what I thought," James whispered, lips pursed together tightly as the tears spilled down his cheeks, squeezing his eyes shut as if to block out the world.

He felt a soft touch, a thumb swiping across his cheeks, wiping away all of his tears. He let his eyes flutter open as he turned his head to hesitantly meet Kendall's eyes. Slight relief washed over him when he noted that Kendall didn't look upset. "Why are you crying?"

"Why do you think?" James questioned quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm pregnant Kendall. I'm scared and confused and I don't know what the hell I'm going to do now."

Kendall expression softened considerably at his boyfriend's confession. He slid into bed alongside the other boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, pulling him against his side. He pressed his lips to James' temple, murmuring softly against his skin. "_We _are going to get through this. Together."

Kendall held onto James tightly as the brunette cried softly. As much as it hurt him to witness, he found himself unable to blame the other boy for being so scared. After a few hours passed and it had finally sunk in, he found himself worrying as well. They were just sixteen; they were far too young to be parents. Not only that, but they were both guys which was bound to cause trouble in the future. But as the brunette beside him slowly fell asleep, he couldn't help but place a hand on his stomach, eyes tearing up happily at the realization. Beyond all the fear and disbelief, he felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. He was going to be a dad.

When Kendall woke up a couple hours later, a slight panic washed over him as he noticed James was no longer curled up at his side. Relief quickly replaced it when he got his answer, muffled heaving sounds coming from the bathroom. He slid out of bed, quietly pushing the door open. His heart broke a little bit when he thought about this and how much pain James would endure in the next 8 months.

He crouched down beside the brunette, much like he had done that morning, trailing his fingers down his back, slipping them under the hospital gown and rubbing small circles against the small of his back. He brought his other hand forward to brush back James' hair from his face as he hugged the toilet bowl even tighter.

Even to Kendall it felt like hours passed that they remained in the bathroom, James puking his guts out while Kendall watch helplessly, wishing there was something he could do to take this suffering away for James. He could only imagine how James must be feeling at that moment.

Just as another wave of nausea hit the poor brunette, his mom appeared in the door way, looking shocked and worried. "Should I go get the doctor?"

Kendall shook his head. "No, he's fine Mom."

"Kendall," his mom spoke softly, concern obvious in her voice. It was just her motherly instincts kicking in; James was like a second son to her, she practically treated him like her own. "He does not look _fine_."

"That's because..." Kendall trailed off nervously, his hands shaking slightly. He knew he had to tell his mom; she would find out eventually anyways but it was just so nerve-racking to admit to her. He knew his mom would never hate him, or James for that matter but he still didn't know how she was going to react. "James is..."

"Pregnant," James finished miserably, his moan echoing in the toilet bowl.

"Before you question it," Kendall cut her off before she could begin to question it. "There's two pictures by the bed. Go look at them."

"Kendall," James whimpered, turning his head to gaze up at the blond boy with wide, tired eyes. "Make it stop."

"I'm sorry babe," the blond murmured sweetly, "I wish I could."

Mrs. Knight reappeared a few seconds later, clutching the two sonograms in her hands. She looked just as confused and in shock as they had earlier when they first discovered the news. "Oh my god," she breathed, holding a hand to her chest in awe. "I'm going to be a grandmother?"

James finally leaned back, slowly sitting down, resting against Kendall for support. "Yeah," he answered so quietly it was barely audible. Disbelief was something they were all feeling an excess of that evening.

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><p>That night found the two lovebirds and future parents curled up in bed, much like they had been earlier. James had his head resting on Kendall's chest, who had his arm draped around the brunette's shoulder. There was a certain calm that had washed over the two boys, neither one speaking, just silently resting in one another's embrace.<p>

Despite the relaxed atmosphere, there was an uncertainty hanging around them. There were still so many things left unanswered, so many obstacles they would have to face in the months to come. Telling Kendall's mom had been surprisingly easy; she took well to the news. They both knew that telling James' parents was not going to be that easy. They certainly wouldn't take it as well as Mrs. Knight had.

That's where the boys were when the doctor returned, lying beside one another, fearing the months of obstacles and hardships they were sure to face.

"How are we doing in here?" she asked softly, offering them a small smile.

Neither boy really had an answer to that. They just _were; _they were still in shock, still in disbelief that they were going to be having a baby. They were scared and worried, mere kids forced into a situation beyond their years. They were doing the best they could be and hopefully that was all that was expected of them at the moment.

James just shrugged to express these feelings.

"Well, I know you guys are still taking it in and its a lot to deal with at one time," the woman spoke sympathetically. "I just wanted to check in and let you know that we'll be discharging you in the morning. Before you leave, we'll set up your first pre-natal appointment and give you some pre-natal vitamins to start taking."

They just nodded in understanding, finding the information went in one ear and out the other. They were hearing the words but they had a hard time believing them. It still felt so surreal. Unlike Kendall, James was having a hard time seeing the excitement in this. He was just scared beyond belief; it had yet to really hit him that he was going to have a baby. He knew once the initial fear wore off, he would be ecstatic about it. Hopefully it would only be a few days before this all soaked in.

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><p>Nervous didn't even begin to cover it. Better words to describe his dread included: frightened, worried, anxious. Kendall was picking him up after his discharge and that inevitably meant going home and, consequently, facing his parents. Facing them surely meant telling them; he knew this was something he couldn't hide for too long.<p>

He knew how his parents would react to the news; they were less than thrilled to hear about his relationship with Kendall in the first place. Though they didn't like it, they accepted it. Now that he was carrying the other's baby, there was no telling what they would do. It would be unpleasant, James knew that much. It turned his stomach to think about.

He rested his hand against his flat stomach, disbelieving there was a baby inside him. His face contorted in momentary horror when he realized how his body would be changing over the next few months. His washboard abs would be _ruined. _James had yet to see the positive to this situation they'd been forced into; so far it seemed like nothing but a pain to him (if the hour spent puking in the bathroom that morning was any indication).

He hoped, as Kendall grabbed his hand while they were walking to his car, that the blond boy couldn't _feel _how severely his hands were trembling. Kendall placed a kiss to his temple and James could tell that the other boy instantly picked up on his restless nerves. He was silent the whole ride home, practically drowning in a sense of surrealism, or maybe denial. It was just so hard to accept.

They sat in James' driveway for a good ten minutes, James too nervous to go in and Kendall trying to assure him that everything would be fine. James wanted to believe him so bad, because Kendall was his anchor but things just seemed so much worse now more than ever. This was going to change their whole lives and he wondered if Kendall had realized that yet. After they shared a soft kiss and James promised to call his later, James reluctantly headed inside to face his parents.

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><p>Kendall's eyes were glued to the TV, staring at the hockey game playing but not actually watching it. His mind was elsewhere entirely. He couldn't help but <em>think. <em>It was starting to really hit him; he was going to be a father. Him and James were going to be parents. Despite the immense fear in the back of his mind, he smiled at the thought.

He'd have a son to teach hockey to or share advice about girls when he got older. He was already committed to attending each and every game his son would play in. And even though he was scared to death about being a parent, he found he quite liked the idea. Especially with James. True, they were still so young, but Kendall always imagined having kids with the pretty boy. He'd always just assumed they would be a lot older with their own place and they would adopt.

It was weird and unexplained but Kendall liked the idea of James carrying their baby. It'd be the perfect mix of both of them, having James' beauty and hopefully not _his _huge eyebrows. He also liked the idea of watching his baby develop personally, being able to put his hands on James' stomach and _feel _their baby. The thought filled him with nothing but excited anticipation.

Only when he thought of his boyfriend did his nerves return. It took his parents the longest time to accept their relationship; he could only imagine how long it would take them to accept _this. _He checked his phone again, hoping to hear from the other boy. He was about to check again when there was a soft knock on the door.

Standing from the couch, he swung the door open, heart pierced by the sight in front of him. The tears in James' usually happy brown eyes told him everything he needed to know. Without a word, James stepped forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Kendall's neck and burying his his face in the crook of his neck. Kendall returned the embrace whole-heartedly, arms secure around James' waist, holding him flush against his body. And when James sobbed, he _felt _it, the sudden jerk against his body.

After a few minutes, they pulled back slightly, just enough so Kendall could soothingly smooth his hand over James' soft hair, hand then dropping down to thumb away the tears trickling down his cheeks. As if he knew the question before Kendall even asked it, James sniffled and meekly met Kendall's gaze. "They called me a freak and kicked me out," he confessed softly, voice wavering in fear and worry.

Anger and devastation washed over him at the announcement. Not that they were expecting the utmost acceptance, but they certainly weren't expecting anything as drastic as that. Kendall was baffled by James' parents' action; how could any parent do such a thing to their child? How could they just abandon James like that? Kendall shook his head in outrage, vowing that he was going to be there for James and their baby no matter what, no exceptions.

Dropping his hand down, he grabbed James' firmly in his, pulling the other boy into the kitchen where his mom was preparing dinner. She stopped what she was doing, seeming to pick up the mood immediately.

"Mom," Kendall ventured hesitantly, voice showing his uncertainty and worry. "James' parents kicked him out. Can he stay with us?"

Mrs. Knight's expression softened as she nodded. "Of course my second son and grandbaby can stay here."

"Thanks Mama Knight," James said quietly.

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><p>He was quiet the rest of the night and Kendall was getting worried. They were in the living room, once again ignoring the TV in the background. James had changed into some of Kendall's sweats and one of his sweatshirts. His head was resting on the other's lap, body curled up on the couch. The way Kendall was combing his fingers through his hair was slowly lulling him to sleep. The day had proved to be mentally exhausting and Kendall's ministrations were just too relaxing. James was just about to give into the persistent sleep tugging at his eyelids, deciding that was exactly what he needed, when Katie came into the room.<p>

"What's his problem?" she called bluntly, gesturing to the exhausted looking boy. It was rare to see him any less than perfect (even though Kendall thought he was always perfect) so it was always worrying to see him in such a state.

"Katie," he growled, shooting his sister a warning glare.

"You can tell her," James mumbled softly, eyes still shut.

Kendall rubbed a hand over James' side, fingers slipping under the sweatshirt he wore. If the relaxed sigh James emitted was any indication, the brunette enjoyed the mild skin to skin contact. "His parents kicked him out because he's pregnant."

Katie put a hand on her hip, eyes narrowing incredulously. "I wasn't born yesterday."

Silently Kendall handed her the pictures that served as the only evidence they had. He watched Katie's eyes scan over the two pictures, her face contorting in disbelief. It was another couple minutes before she actually spoke. "Cool," she mumbled with a smile, "I'm gonna be an aunt!"

Kendall smiled too, not only because his sister was excited for them but because it was the first time he'd seen James smile all day. There was a knock on the door and barely a second later, it was swinging open, Carlos and Logan walking in.

"Hey guys," Kendall greeted casually, lifting a hand to wave at the two.

They waved in returned before Carlos bounced over to where Katie was standing.

"Oooh, what're these?" he wondered, plucking the pictures from her hands. A few minutes passed, Carlos' face wrinkling in confusion. Logan seemed to notice and peeked over his shoulder to inspect the pictures himself.

"That's impossible!" Logan exclaimed in realization.

"Gee, you're the first person to say _that,_" James muttered sarcastically. He felt a little guilty for snapping at his friend like that but he was sick of everyone reacting like he was some sort of rare oddity. After just one day, he was sick of feeling like a freak of nature.

"It's _medically _impossible," the smaller boy insisted, "There's no way-"

"Logan," Kendall cut in, sensing that Logan's words were unintentionally upsetting his boyfriend. "We _know,_okay?"

"Well congrats, I guess," Logan said instead, "This is great, isn't it?"

Kendall wanted to say yes and confess how excited he was but the look on James' face told him that he didn't exactly feel the same way.

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><p><strong>AN: Even my "happy" fic is kinda depressing. I wanted to make this realistic (as realistic as a mpreg can be) and I feel that things just wouldn't be fine and dandy after discovering something as major as this. So that's why James is upset about this (for now). If it's not obvious yet, this is a Minnesota AU and it will stay that way. I wanted my mpreg to differ from all the other one's with them in hollywood, dealing with paparazzi and what not. Oh and apologies to anyone waiting on any of my other fics, I've kinda fell in love with this one and have been ignoring the other ones. I promise I'll try to update those ones next.**


	4. Chapter 4

Kendall found, waking up that morning, that he quite enjoyed waking up beside his boyfriend. It was refreshing so early in the morning to roll over and see the cute brunette sleeping beside him. Just the sight of him provided the blond with such a sense of calm and he couldn't think of a better way to start off his day. A smile tugged at his lips as they boy beside him stirred softly. He reached over, letting his fingers brush a few pieces of hair from his face.

"Morning babe," he murmured softly, leaning over to press his lips to the other's cheek, The only answer he got was an extremely quiet moan right before the brunette was covering his mouth and running over to the bathroom.

Kendall cringed and rolled out of himself, grabbing a can of 7up from the kitchen before joining the other boy in the bathroom.

He knew there was nothing he could do and it wasn't exactly his fault but Kendall felt extremely bad every morning James woke up with morning sickness. Sometimes it was only five minutes that he spent throwing up but other times it was closer to an hour. He rarely ate in the mornings, having aversions to most foods. Kendall had stopped wearing cologne because that set off James' nausea.

He crouched down beside the kneeling brunette, slipping his fingers under his tanktop, rubbing circles on the small of his back. He set the 7up on the counter and used his other hand to brush the hair out of James' face as he continued to empty whatever was left in his stomach. This session had only lasted fifteen minutes, a relatively short time compared to other mornings. He handed James the 7up, watching him take small sips of it.

Kendall ran his fingers through James' hair, offering a small, sympathetic smile. The other boy looked absolutely miserable. He pressed his lips to James' forehead, resisting the strong urge to apologize. He felt bad being excited about this when James clearly did not echo the sentiment.

Kendall stood up then bent over, hooking his arm under James' legs to scoop him up, carrying him back to their bedroom. His heart fluttered the way James held onto him, his head dropping down to rest on the blond's shoulder.

"What time is it?" James murmured against Kendall's neck.

"Just before eight," he answered, gently setting the brunette down on their bed.

"Can we watch cartoons before we go to school?" James requested, voice soft and meek. The way James was looking up at him with those wide hazel eyes made it impossible for Kendall to say no. Kendall swore James could get away with murder by just flashing those puppy dogs eyes.

"Sure," he replied, walking over to the dresser they both shared. They didn't really bother to separate their clothes out. They were just about the same size and shared a lot of thing being boyfriends. Plus James insisted it really helped out Kendall's fashion choices. "But let's get dressed first. What do you want to wear today?"

James just shrugged, not possessing the effort to care about his appearance, which was a first in many, many years. "Doesn't matter."

At least that was until he saw what Kendall had picked out for him. He grabbed the shirt from Kendall, chucking it in their hamper. "I can't wear that!" he exclaimed, playfully exaggerating his discontent. "I have a reputation to uphold!"

Kendall seemed to pick up on James' playfulness and chuckled, wrapping his arms around his waist. He laughed along with James, relishing in the happiness he seemed to possess. It was a complete 180 from his complete misery just minutes earlier but Kendall didn't mind. As long as James was happy, he was too.

He could only hope that this good mood James was suddenly in would last. He kept his arms tight around his boyfriend's waist, as if to hold onto the happy moment. Pressing his lips to James' forehead, he murmured softly against his warm skin. "Love you."

James' eyes fluttered shut at the contact, his cheeks staining a light pink. "Love you too," he returned, hazel eyes opening to meet emerald ones.

He broke away from the other boy, walking over to their dresser, pulling out an appropriately matching shirt. After pulling it on, he grabbed Kendall's hand gently and walked them out to the living room.

They assumed their usual cuddle positions on the couch, James resting against Kendall, head on his shoulder. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, mindlessly watching the cartoons on the screen, James couldn't help the way his worries and fears were creeping back up on him.

Things seemed perfect on the surface but there was more to it. Every little detail they had to figure out was piling up and starting to drown him. He settled closer to Kendall, trying to trust the blond enough to keep him afloat.

Then suddenly, he recalled yet another obstacle he would have to face. He groaned and buried his face in the other's neck. "We have to tell Coach today."

Kendall instantly picked up the reluctance in his boyfriend's voice and wished there was something he could do to put him at ease. He reached his hand up and ran his fingers through his soft hair.

"Just skip practice today," he advised gently, "We'll tell him on Monday."

"Kendy, I've already missed two practices this week," he whined, "I can't miss another without explanation."

"I'll tell him you weren't up for it and we can deal with it later." He pressed his lips to James' temple, hoping that answer was sufficient. James once again rested his head on Kendall's shoulder, wishing he could apply this frame of mind to everything in their lives and just deal with it all later.

* * *

><p>By the time school was done and they were home, James was so far past exhausted. He felt like he could get a good eight hours of sleep and still be tired. Then there was the nausea that was apparently no longer limited to the mornings, him running straight to the bathroom in the middle of history class being a prime example. This had caused quite a few suspecting stares but he didn't bother explaining. Carlos and Logan shot him knowing, sympathetic stares when he returned.<p>

He wondered if they had told Kendall about this incident. It was obvious they had when Kendall and him met for lunch and the blond practically suffocated him with questions. Throwing away his lunch probably didn't help the worry evident in his eyes. He just didn't want to risk it by eating something then having to throw it up an hour later. He explained this logic to his boyfriend who nodded, seemingly understanding his reasoning but James could still see hints of apprehension flickering in Kendall's eyes. To remedy this, he promised he would eat something at dinner that night.

He knew how it would inevitably turn out but he just couldn't stand the almost _scared _look on Kendall's face. Considering how his external state scared the other boy, he couldn't imagine how terrified he would be if he knew how he was feeling on the inside. Reluctant didn't even begin to cover it.

This was going to change his whole life and ruin everything he had been working for. Kendall didn't realize this. He could still play hockey; he could still follow his dream. Even though hockey wasn't his life dream, he still loved playing it and would miss not being able to. He would also miss out on any chance to go to LA and live out his dream. He was stuck now, bound to Minnesota and this baby. James just couldn't find a positive point in any of this.

James just wanted to crawl into bed and wake up in the morning, realizing this was all a dream. He knew that wasn't going to happen though. No matter how little he wanted to accept it, this was reality and he had to deal with it the best he could.

Despite his promise to Kendall, he skipped dinner that night, insisting he wasn't the least bit hungry. Kendall had tried to insist; that he was eating for two now and he _had _to eat something. James cringed as Kendall brought their baby up again. Not that James could honestly forget about it in the first place. He had flashed his boyfriend his best puppy dog eyes and softly confessed that he just wanted to lay down. Defenseless to his puppy dog eyes, Kendall finally relented, reluctantly letting his boyfriend skip dinner and go up to their room instead.

The blond boy had finished his own dinner in a record time, quickly thanking his mom for the meal before rushing up to his room. He saw that James had already changed into his pajamas of choice, one of Kendall's old hockey jerseys and a pair of black boxer briefs. Kendall let his eyes trail up James' long, muscular legs, smiling as his eyes landed on the other boy's stomach. He still had a hard time believing there was a baby in there, a human life that they created. It was amazing; he just wished that James could see that too.

After pulling his shirt off and changing into a pair of his favorite pj pants, he climbed into bed behind his boyfriend, settling on his side. He laid his body flush against James', draping an arm over his waist. Pressing his lips to the back of James' neck, he whispered how much he loved the other boy and how everything was going to be fine. James pretended to be asleep so he wouldn't have to confess how little he believed that.

* * *

><p>Kendall was the first one up that morning, stirring softly behind the other boy. His hand had dropped down to rest on James' bare thigh, lightly scratching his nails over the soft skin. This caused the brunette to stir, stretching his arms up with a yawn. He blushed when he realized this caused the hockey jersey he wore to ride up slightly, exposing a sliver of his stomach. He tugged it back down shyly, turning over to face the other boy.<p>

A small smile tugged at his lips as Kendall slipped a hand under the jersey, rubbing circles over his back. James' eyes slipped shut once again, burying his head in the other's chest. He thought that if he didn't move, the usual morning nausea wouldn't wash over him like it typically did. He wanted to enjoy this moment of serenity as long as he could.

Morning," Kendall murmured gently, pressing his lips to James' forehead.

"Morning," the pretty boy returned, rolling his head back onto Kendall's shoulder so he could stare up at his boyfriend.

Kendall smiled as their eyes met and leaned down, pressing their lips together in a soft, sweet kiss. James made a soft murmur of approval as they pulled apart. Kendall stroked his thumb across James' soft, rosy cheek, admiring green eyes meeting sweet hazel ones.

"So what're we doing today?" James asked quietly, reaching up to run his fingers through his boyfriend's shaggy blond hair.

Kendall smiled softly at this action, leaning forward to place another kiss to James' forehead. "I was thinking Carlos and Logan could come over and he could all hang out today."

James nodded slowly, "Sounds good," he muttered, lips turning up in a small smile. He groaned suddenly, hiding his face in the crook of Kendall's neck. "Kendy, I don't wanna move."

"Aww, babe," he cooed, smoothing James' hair back, then toying with the hair on the back of his neck. "You have to get up some time today."

"I know," he whined reluctantly, "I just don't want to get nauseous when I stand up." A brief moment of silence fell between them before James was looking up at Kendall with wide, pleading eyes. "We should stay in our pjs all day."

"I totally agree," Kendall exclaimed with a grin, pressing one last kiss to James' cheek before rolling out of bed. "But you should probably put on some pants though."

James slowly sat up, his lips jutting out a pout. "You don't really want me to put on pants, do you?"

Kendall turned back to look at James with a dumbfounded expression, appreciating his sudden lack of bashfulness. Ever since James found out he was one month pregnant a few days ago, he'd been extremely conscious about his body, never letting Kendall see him naked, shying away from all of his tight clothes. So this moment of open pride on James' part surprised Kendall, to say the least.

"Not particularly," the blond said, a smirk making its way onto his lips. The way James was biting his bottom lip was slowly driving him crazy. A predatory gleam in his eyes, Kendall stalked back towards the bed, crawling up from the foot of the bed. He glanced up at the other boy as he began trailing kisses up his legs, starting at the ankles and making his way up towards his thighs.

James made a soft noise in the back of his throat, his body squirming slightly under his boyfriend's touch. Kendall pushed the jersey up a little, placing a sweet kiss to each hip before moving to kiss his stomach. Before he could though, James was pushing the jersey back down, his expression fading to an unsure one.

The blonde's face, in turn, softened, settling down beside the other boy, kissing his shoulder. Sure, he was a little disappointed that these actions hadn't led to what he was secretly hoping for. But at the same time, he didn't want James to feel uncomfortable (even if James was far too beautiful to be uncomfortable with his body).

"Want to go try and eat some breakfast?" Kendall asked casually.

"Sure," James replied, shrugging softly.

Kendall smiled knowingly, "Want me to carry you?"

"Yes please," the brunette requested sweetly.

* * *

><p>An hour later found the two in the living room, James curled up on the couch while Kendall answered the door. It was the first day in a while that he was actually able to eat and hold something down. It had only been a piece of toast and a few bites of scrambled eggs but it was something and that's all that mattered. James swore that Kendall had looked so thrilled, he thought the blond would surely explode.<p>

James rested his head against a pillow on the couch's armrest, watching as Kendall let their other two friends in. Logan approached the couch and held out a bag to him. James peeked inside briefly before glancing up at his friend questioningly.

"All the grease and salt in potato chips is supposed to help settle your stomach," he explained.

"I can get behind that," James said enthusiastically, popping open a bag of the chips. Kendall smiled, happy to hear James enthusiastic to eat something.

"Me too!" Carlos exclaimed, diving forward and grabbing a handful of the chips.

"Carlos, you're not pregnant," Logan informed him.

"So?" Carlos questioned through a mouth full of chips, crumbs falling from his mouth as he spoke. The other three boys just rolled their eyes at the other's typical behavior.

The rest of the day passed just like that, just like every other day the friends spent together. They watched the hockey game, yelling and screaming at the players on the screen. They'd polished off three bags of potato chips, most of which was Carlos and James' doing.

It felt so normal and perfect and that's what depressed James the most. He thought of how much fun these days were, how much he loved just watching out with his friends, being a normal teen. This, in turn, made him think about how he'd never get to have these days again. Once they had this baby, their whole lives would change. They would no longer get to act like teenagers. They would be parents and James was absolutely terrified by the idea.


	5. Chapter 5

It was the day James had been dreading all weekend long. He wasn't typically particularly fond of Mondays to begin with but this one was going to be worse than most. They were heading in early for a meeting with their hockey coach, to tell him of the circumstances that kept James was playing. He loved hockey and didn't want to stop playing but it was just another part of his life he had to sacrifice because of this baby.

As he rolled out of bed and hurried to the bathroom, he remembered yet another reason to resent the baby. They went through the usual routine, Kendall fetching a 7up for him and rubbing his back as he knelt before the toilet. The blond boy helped him up when he was done, dizziness causing him to sway slightly. He buried his face in Kendall's chest, willing the world to stop spinning under his feet.

"Kendy," he whined, the sound muffled by Kendall's flannel shirt. "I don't wanna go today."

"I know babe," he murmured against James; soft hair, running his hand up and down his back soothingly. "But we have to."

"I know," James sighed reluctantly, turning away from the other boy to return to their room to get dressed. "I'm just...what if rumors get around somehow?"

"Coach isn't going to tell anyone," Kendall insisted softly, leaning against their dresser as he watched James slowly change from his pj's. He sighed, barely audible when the pretty boy shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Respecting the other's wishes, he turned around so James could dress in peace. "Even if rumors spread, we'll get through it together."

There was a moment of silence between them before Kendall heard his boyfriend's soft, heartbreaking whimper. He spun back around, around a fully clothed James staring down at the floor. Stepping closer to the other boy, Kendall tilted his face up, noting the anxiety and fear in his typically happy eyes.

"I'm scared Kendall," he confessed softly, eyes steadily gazing up at the blond boy.

"'Bout what?" Kendall asked, voice gentle and sweet as he stroked his thumb across James' warm, rosy cheek.

"Everything." The word was uttered so quietly that Kendall almost missed it. But he heard and it broke his heart a little.

"I'm not going to let anything happen James," Kendall promised, pressing a chaste, reassuring kiss to his lips. A smile graced his lips when one made its way back onto James' lips. James was still reluctant and scared to death but having Kendall by his side made it better.

* * *

><p>Things had gone better than James had initially expected them to; Mama Knight had gone with them and basically did all the talking for them. Their coach had been a little skeptical at first, slightly less so when they showed him the pictures and then pretty damn convinced when James had thrown up in his trash bin mid-conversation. He reacted the way most did; shocked and in awe, slightly disappointed that he was losing one of his star players.<p>

After a little while longer of conversation, their coach (who was also their gym teacher) worked it out so James wouldn't have to participate in any vigorous physical activity. James wasn't particularly looking forward to walking laps while everyone else played hockey or baseball or dodge-ball. But by the end of the conversation, James was just thrilled that it had gone so smoothly.

* * *

><p>Following their meeting with their coach, Kendall was in a <em>great <em>mood the rest of the day. It was partially due to how well their meeting went, but mostly because of how happy James was. For what seemed like the first time that week, James seemed genuinely content and Kendall couldn't put into words how happy that made him.

Even though he didn't know it was possible, Kendall found his mood improving even more when they sat down for lunch that day and James ate _everything _his mom had packed for them. _Nothing _could wipe the grin off his face. He reached over, letting his fingers brush over James' denim clad thigh, smiling over at him.

The pretty boy rested his head on Kendall's shoulder, a sweet smile tugging at his lips as his boyfriend slowly worked his fingers through his hair. The action had a way of instantly calming him down. James felt his eyes slipping shut as Kendall's fingertips slowly massaged his scalp. He made a soft noise of approval.

"Stop," he muttered, contradicting how much he seemed to enjoy it. "Gonna fall asleep."

"We can take a nap when we get home," Kendall offered with a knowing smile. James could only nod at the idea and look forward to it the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>James wasn't sure whether it was the pregnancy or because he was up so early every morning (typically puking his guts up) but by the time they returned home after school that afternoon, he was exhausted and <em>nothing <em>sounded better than the nap Kendall had promised. Kicking off their shoes at the door, Kendall took James' hand and led him up to the room they shared.

The pretty boy immediately went towards the boy, easing himself down onto it. Kendall joined a few seconds later, lying down beside the other boy. Pressing a kiss to James' cheek, he pulled the covers over their bodies. James was asleep before the fabric even touched his skin.

* * *

><p>His mom told him that ten weeks was usually the time when mood swings became drastic and cravings intense. As James approached his tenth week, Kendall began to worry. The past few weeks had been surprisingly good and he didn't want anything to ruin that. It was late one night when Kendall woke up, noticing his boyfriend was no longer lying beside him.<p>

Rubbing his eyes, he rolled out of bed, peeking into the bathroom to find the light was off. Then a light suddenly caught his attention. He headed towards it, leading him to the kitchen, where he found the pretty boy, standing in front of the open cabinet. The oven clock flashed 2:45am.

Kendall yawned, leaning against the doorway. "Jamesy, it's 3am. What're you doing up?"

James' head shot over in his direction, eyes widening slightly at having been caught. He tugged his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes then shifting from side to side. "I was seeing if there was any chocolate down here," he confessed quietly.

A soft smile made its way onto Kendall's face, the blond boy remembering how his mom used to get cravings all the time when she was pregnant with Katie when he was younger. He remembered driving to the store late at night to get pickles or ice cream, sometimes both; it was always an adventure for him. "I think my mom used the rest of it baking cookies last week. But we can go pick some up."

The look on James' face was priceless, a mix of appreciation, love and surprise. "Really?"

"Sure," Kendall confirmed, his smile turning into a fond, loving one. "Let me go grab our jackets and shoes real quick."

Turns out, James had no clue what specific kind of chocolate he was craving, so they ended up getting all three, white, milk and dark chocolate. When they arrived home around 3:30am, James proceeded to mix all three bags of chocolate chips together in a sandwich bag, taking a seat on the couch, munching happily on the chocolate.

Despite how tired he was and how badly he wanted to return to bed, he smiled and sat beside the brunette on the couch, smiling increasing when James nuzzled against his side. He draped his arm over James' shoulders, letting his fingers lightly trail up and down the other's arm, knowing this particular action soothed him.

"Kendy?" James asked softly, looking up at him with wide, puppy dog eyes. The same eyes that Kendall was powerless against, the ones he could never say no to.

"Yeah babe?" he responded, turning his head to press a light kiss to the other boy's forehead.

"Can you eat some chocolate with me?" his voice was soft and meek as he asked, biting his lip once more.

Kendall knew that James had always had a complex about eating alone, never wanting to be the only person in a group eating. At first, it had always worried Kendall, making him question the brunette's sleeping habits, wondering if he was eating consistently. After a while though and firm confirmation that James did, in fact, eat regularly, it stopped fazing him. As long as James was developing any dangerous eating habits, he was more than happy to eat whenever the other boy did. Anything to make him happy. With a smile, Kendall nodded, "Sure," he murmured before reaching over to grab a handful, tossing them in his mouth.

In the morning, Mrs. Knight would find them asleep on the couch, Kendall's head atop of James' which was resting on his shoulder, a blanket thrown over their bodies, and a half eaten bag of chocolate chips on the floor.

* * *

><p>It was another two weeks before Kendall started to notice drastic mood swings and this observation was slightly frightening to the blond boy. He must've mistaken what his mom had told him about because surely, this couldn't be normal. James' moods seemed to change on a dime. One second the brunette was happy and laughing and within a minute, he was crying. Kendall felt bad that there was nothing he could do about it, especially when he did or said something to cause them.<p>

The first incident occurred early one morning before they headed off to school. James awoke him with a kiss, presumably happy that he was unaffected by morning sickness that particular morning. Kendall left the room to brush his teeth, returning a few minutes later to find James sitting on the bed, crying.

The blond had rushed over to him, reaching a hand out to thumb away his tears, gently asking him what was wrong. James had forcefully turned his head away, harshly insisting it was nothing before continuing to get dressed. Despite how worried Kendall was about him still, he shrugged it off, remembering what his mom told him about the mood swings James would surely go through.

After a few days, Kendall adjusted to these random changes in mood, trying his best to just roll with it. He knew what not to say to set the brunette off and, even though it killed him inside, he learned to back off when he started crying, knowing the other boy would just snap at him.

Kendall was personally excited that particular Thursday, the one marking the beginning of James' third month of pregnancy. They were going to their doctor's appointment after school that afternoon, to finally get an ultrasound. Figuring James was less thrilled than him, he didn't mention it, keeping his excitement to himself.

"I'm actually starting to look pregnant," James announced with a pout as he returned from the bathroom, having already showered and dressed.

Kendall glanced up at the other boy, a chuckled scoff escaping his lips. "No, you don't."

"Well, when I'm naked..." the pretty boy trailed off, averting his eyes shyly.

This particular statement made the blond boy smirk, thinking about the pretty boy with a distinct lack of clothes. It'd been a while since he'd seen James naked. Before James got pregnant, they were comfortable with each other, having no problem changing in front of each other. But now, James had become self-conscious of his body. Kendall had momentarily forgot this fact, along with James' recent mood swings.

"I can be the judge of that," he replied smugly, eyebrows raising suggestively. Kendall regretted the words not even a second later when James was biting his lip, looking away nervously. He held his hands out suddenly, defensively. "I was just kidding babe."

James offered a small smile, as if knowing how crazy his mood swings were. He slowly made his way over to the bed, sitting down next to the blond boy, his head falling onto his shoulder. "I'm nervous for today," he whispered, hands fidgeting in his lap.

"How come?" Kendall prompted gently, rubbing a hand up and down the other's back.

James shrugged, "I don't know, I guess it just feels so _real._"

At this point, Kendall had to resist the urge to place his hand over James' stomach, to acknowledge the existence of their baby. Something told Kendall that James really didn't want to.  
>"It <em>is <em>real," he murmured, voice barely audible, mostly just to himself.

James didn't utter a single word following that.

* * *

><p>Checking in at the doctor's was a little nerve-wracking. Mrs. Knight was at work so it left just the two of them to go alone. Kendall filled out the necessary paperwork while they waited, his free hand reaching out to rest on the other's thigh, stilling his anxiously shaking leg. James glanced over at him, lips turning up just slightly in a sheepish smile. The wait was terrible, lasting far too long for James' taste. He wanted this done; he wanted to get this over with already.<p>

Kendall stood to return the paperwork to the lady behind the desk and, before he could return to his seat, a nurse was appearing in the doorway, calling out James' name. Sensing his unease, Kendall returned to their seats, stretching his hand out for James to grab. He smiled as the brunette took it, helping him stand. They followed the nurse down the hall, hand in hand as they walked. Kendall could feel the faint tremble in his boyfriend's hand. Just as he was about to insist that everything would be alright, they were ushered inside the room.

"Go ahead and lie down sweetie," the nurse said kindly, "The doctor will be in in just a minute."

James nodded, hoisting himself up onto the table, slowly lying down against the pillow. Kendall stood by the bed, grabbing the other's hand once again, pressing a kiss to its back.

Idly, he started humming quietly. The pretty boy relaxed enough to let his head rest back against the pillow, rolling to the side, staring up at Kendall. With a fond smile, the blond boy combed his fingers through James' soft hair, knowing this particular action soothed the other boy like nothing else.

Barely a minute later, the door was opening, revealing the same doctor who'd revealed the news of his pregnancy in the first place. James was vaguely comforted by this familiarity.

"Hello James," the doctor smiled softly, closing the door behind her. "How have you been feeling?"

James paused to consider this question for a second before replying, "You mean besides waking up at ungodly hours in the morning to puke my guts up, wanting to snap my boyfriend's head off when he does nothing wrong, and wanting to eat everything in sight?"

The doctor nodded with a slight grin, silently prompting a further answer.

James shrugged, "Okay, I guess."

"Well, we're going to do an ultrasound today," the doctor continued, presumably noticing his lack of excitement for the situation. Kendall, on the other hand, could barely contain his excitement. He just wanted to do his happy dance; they were going to see their baby for the very first time. He wished again and again that James could be happy enough to enjoy this moment. "So we'll be able to see your baby."

James just nodded while Kendall grinned so wide.

"So go ahead and lift your shirt up for me, or you can unbutton it, whichever is more comfortable for you," the doctor said as she grabbed a tube from the far counter.

Kendall watched as James' shaking hands undid each button slowly, letting his shirt fall open. He pushed his black tank top up and Kendall had to bite his tongue to suppress the gasp forming on his lips. Granted he was only three months along, but James hid his baby bump extremely well.

Though Kendall would never admit it aloud, for fear of upsetting the other boy, James did actually look like he was pregnant. He no longer had his washboard abs, but instead a slightly round stomach. Without even realizing it, a fond smile was spreading over his face, as if realizing again that they were going to have a baby. His hands itched to reach out and caress James' stomach but he resisted, knowing it would surely make the other boy uncomfortable.

Kendall watched as the doctor squirted some gel onto James' stomach, causing the brunette to jump slightly.

"Cold," he murmured up at Kendall, seemingly reading the other boy's concern.

Both sets of eyes remained locked to the screen as the doctor moved the device over his stomach. Kendall was holding his breath, hands shaking for an entirely different reason than James'. It was his baby in there and that was a concept that he couldn't entirely wrap his head around. He was about to get the only confirmation he would need to solidify the reality that they were going to be parents.

After a few seconds, the doctor stilled the device against James' stomach, using her other hand to point to the monitor. "You see that? That's your baby right there."

Kendall's heart skipped a beat, momentarily in awe at the sight before him. True, it was still tiny, the picture not too clear, but he could make out what the doctor was pointing to. It was _amazing. _He couldn't explain the feeling but it was the best feeling in the world.

With a smile, the doctor stood up from her stool. "I'll give you two a few minutes and go get something to wipe that off."

Kendall nodded and thanked her quietly, eyes still transfixed on the monitor. Only when he heard James sniffle did his gaze break away from it. He looked down to see tears in James' eyes.

"Babe, what's wrong?" he asked sweetly, caressing his cheek and thumbing away the tears that escaped.

"I can't see it," he declared, lips quivering slightly as he spoke.

"What?" Kendall replied, brows furrowed in confusion.

"The baby," James clarified sadly, thumping his arms against the bed in anger. "I can't even see my own baby."

Kendall moved quickly around the bed, standing beside the monitor. "Right here," he said, pointing to the same spot on the monitor where they'd been shown before. "You see that?"

James' face softened, the tears stopping as he nodded, lips parted slightly. "Yeah," he answered breathlessly. His face returned to its previous state, scrunched up sadly, new tears forming in his eyes. "No."

"Well it's okay," Kendall was quick to comfort the other boy, not wanting him to be upset. "The baby will get really big and you'll be able to see it then!"

This only seemed to further upset the other boy. "Great, so I'm going to get really, really fat. That's what you're saying?"

Kendall's eyes went wide at the accusation, realizing how terrible his previous statement sounded at first. "No!" he called suddenly, holding his arms out defensively. "That's not what I meant! I just meant that-"

Luckily, before Kendall could dig even a deeper hole, the doctor was returning with a damp towel to remove the gel from James' stomach. Kendall wondered how terrible of a boyfriend and father he looked like, when the doctor noticed that James was wiping away the remainder of his tears. She probably just assumed they were happy tears; Kendall silently wished they were.

"So your baby looks great, healthy. Your next visit, we'll be able to establish an approximately due date and we'll be able to hear the heartbeat. You've got two more weeks in your first trimester and once you're done with that, the morning sickness should start lessening. You might still feel a little nausea in the morning or around certain foods but it won't be nearly as intense. Around 16 weeks you'll notice the baby will start kicking and moving around. It'll be a little weird at first but you'll get used to it. And around 18 weeks we'll be able to find out the sex if you guys would like to."

James nodded and pulled his shirt down shyly when he was all cleaned up, re-buttoning his shirt. Kendall smiled down at the other boy, unable to hide his excitement for once. After thanking the doctor again, the two left the doctor's office, hand in hand once again.

"I love you Kendy," James murmured sweetly, glancing over at the other boy.

Kendall chuckled and smiled, returning the sentiment as they headed towards the car. He could tell that it was going to be a crazy few months they were going to be facing. Somehow though, Kendall couldn't be any more excited; he just wished that James felt the same way.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is my favoritest chapter so far. I love it. includes the scene I've been waiting for since the beginning of this fic. I really should've been updating Forever Scarred but inspiration for this hit and I ran with it. Let me know what you guys think. I love feedback (or just gushing about how precious it is)**

* * *

><p>It was getting harder and harder for Kendall to watch James day after day in such misery. <em>He <em>was excited but in James' defense, he was the one who had to suffer the most negative side effects of their situation: having to give up hockey, the body changes (which he knew James _hated) _and, of course, all the morning sickness. Kendall _hated _watching James on his knees in the bathroom, throwing up, almost violently.

Then there was also the dizziness that plagued him when he stood up. Kendall wished James didn't have to go through all that, especially when he was slightly less than willing in the first place. But there was nothing he could do so he did what he could, getting James whatever he needed, trying to soothe him through it.

"Only two more weeks and it should get better," Kendall reminded him, recalling what the doctor had told them at their appointment two weeks ago.

James groaned, reaching up to flush the toilet and snatching a bit of toilet paper to wipe his mouth. Tired, he leaned back to settle between Kendall's legs, his back resting against the blonde's chest.

"Two more weeks of this?" he exclaimed in disbelief, his head falling back onto Kendall's shoulder.

"I know babe," he murmured against the brunette's ear, reaching up to brush James' hair back, away from his warm forehead. "It's almost done."

James was about to comment on the fact that this was all _far _from done when Mrs. Knight popped her head in, informing them that breakfast was ready. James was appreciative that Mrs. Knight wasn't fazed by their position, more so that she was supportive of their "situation."

His parents had always been a little weary of his relationship with Kendall, disapproving of any open affection they shared. They obviously didn't approve of the situation they were in. He was endlessly grateful for the woman; he wasn't sure where he'd be without Mrs. Knight. He found he didn't particularly want to think about it.

* * *

><p>Kendall thought that James being pregnant would mean it would take him less time to get ready in the morning but it was actually the opposite. Being pregnant seemed to add another ten minutes to his usual routine. The time was usually spent selecting outfits that hid his growing baby bump, which was becoming harder to do.<p>

It would soon become impossible to do so and the rumors would follow right after. Kendall was dreading how James would react to this but he knew they would have to face it sooner or later (most likely the former). Luckily, ever since the ultrasound, James had been slightly more comfortable with his body, at least with him. He went back to sleeping in sweats and his tank tops, which were snug to his body.

Kendall _loved _when James would wear these, seeing as they perfectly showed off his rounded stomach. He still felt it was out of the question to touch James' stomach, still not wanting to make him uncomfortable. He could settle for peeks every now and then when they were doing nothing at home.

"Can I wear this today, Kendy?"

Kendall snapped out of his thoughts to glance up from his spot on the bed, seeing James holding up _his _black zip-up hoodie. "Sure."

He watched James shrug it on and zip it up, his hands settling on his stomach, eyes staring at it contemplatively.

A fond smile spread over Kendall's lips at this action before the other boy was turning to him, eyes staring at him nervously. "Can you tell I'm pregnant in this?"

"James," he sighed softly, "People will find out eventually."

"I know," he answered, reluctantly, "I just...don't want them to." Before the other boy could argue, he persisted. "You don't understand Kendall." He took a seat beside the blond, fidgeting hands settled in his lap. "When people find out, they'll mock me endlessly."

"We'll get through this," Kendall assured him, like he always did. "Together."

His words didn't seem to have much of an effect this time around. "You're not the freak of nature," James mumbled, head cast down in shame.

Those words made Kendall's heart ache; he _hated _that that was how James viewed himself, especially since it wasn't true. He tucked two fingers under James' chin, tilting his gaze up and meeting his eyes. With the utmost sincerity, he replied firmly, "And neither are you."

James really wished he could believe that.

* * *

><p>The two weeks went just like that; James spending more and more time hiding their baby. Kendall knew how James felt but he just wished the brunette wasn't so <em>ashamed <em>of it, of what they had created. He didn't have much time to dwell on it though because he was heading off to work shortly. After grabbing his name tag and apron, he walked over to the bed, leaning down to chastely kiss James goodbye.

"I get off at 8 tonight," he told the brunette, stroking his thumb across James' rosy cheek, a deep ache residing in his chest, wishing he didn't have to leave his boyfriend. But they were going to have a baby so he figured he better start saving money up now.

"Okay," he replied softly before sitting up suddenly. "Kendy! We're out of pudding."

If he thought it wouldn't set off the other's mood swings, he would've laughed (fondly) at how devastated James looked. Instead, he just smiled lovingly. "I'll pick some up on my way home."

James was going crazy. Kendall had only been gone for two hours and he didn't know what to do. He had tried to do some homework but quit after finding the first question too complicated. After that he tried taking a nap but was unable to get comfortable enough to actually ever fall asleep. He made it halfway through his fashion magazine before the models were making him feel self-conscious and the cologne samples making him nauseous.

Groaning in disinterest, he flung the magazine towards the foot of the bed, settling back against the pillows in frustrated boredom. He wished Kendall would come home already. But he knew that it was selfish to demand such things, knowing that Kendall had to work. Sighing, he chalked it up to his hormones acting up, deciding not to dwell on it any longer.

Around seven o'clock, after wasting another hour doing nothing in particular, Mrs. Knight poked her head in, smiling warmly as she walked over, to set a cup of hot cocoa on his bedside table. He smiled and thanked her quietly, taking a sip. Mama Knight had _always _made the best hot chocolate, whether it was after hockey practice or after a snowball fight. There was just something about it that felt like happiness, like home to him.

"Kendall's at work," he answered, setting the mug back down. "And I don't know what to to with myself."

The woman returned his statement with a soft, caring smile, the way she always did. "Sweetie," she said in her usual, maternal tone, reaching up to sweep his hair to the side. "You're not going at this alone. We're all here for you."

Mrs. Knight's support made him feel a little guilty for complaining so much about being pregnant. He had so much support and all he did was bitch. "I know," he sighed quietly, offering a soft smile. "Thanks Mama K. For everything."

She smiled one last time, patting his thigh as she stood, "Don't mention it sweetie. You're like a son to me."

And even though James was worried, scared even, about having this baby, he couldn't have been happier to have Mrs. Knight there.

James was sure that he would be awake when Kendall got home, especially since it was only eight o'clock. But just after 7:30, when he was just lying in bed, his eyes slowly slipped shut and he finally woke up to the sound of the door clicking shut. He sat up and rubbed the tiredness from his eyes, lips turning up in a soft smile when he noticed who it was.

"Kendy," he murmured, in both greeting and beckoning him over to the bed. The blond returned the smile, kicking his shoes off and walking over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. He couldn't help but reach up and caress his boyfriend's cheek, noting how his skin was just a little warmer than usual. His smile only widened when his gaze fell down to James' stomach, perfectly outlined under his black tank top.

"I picked something up on my way home," Kendall told him, an odd mix of excitement and hesitance on his face, as he toyed with the plastic bag beside him.

"Pudding?" James question hopefully.

Kendall chuckled fondly and nodded, "It's down in the fridge. But I got something else," he reached into the bag beside him, pulling out its contents. James felt his heart skip a beat with mixed emotions when Kendall pulled out a little baby shirt and placed it in his lap. His stomach mimicked his heart, jumping slightly as he stared down at it. It was a pale yellow with white lettering, spelling out: "Daddy and I love Mommy."

"Kendall, I-" James went to say something, _what _exactly he wasn't sure but he felt the odd jump in his stomach again, only this time more intense.

Kendall waited nervously for James' response, hoping it was a happy one when the brunette stopped mid-sentence. He watched as James' hands flew up to clutch his rounded belly, an action Kendall had rarely witness on the brunette's behalf. The way James curled forward a bit scared him to death, his heart nearly stopping in fear.

"James, what's _wrong_?" Kendall's voice shook with obvious worry.

James' head slowly tilted up, revealing his wide eyes and parted lips. He couldn't believe it. Too in awe to actually form words, he grabbed Kendall's hands instead, yanking them forward and placing them on his stomach in time to feel their baby's first kick. The worry on Kendall's face immediately turned to amazement as he looked up to meet James' eyes, noting the unshed tears in them.

"James," he whispered, thumbing away the tears as they trickled down his cheeks.

"That's our baby," James stated quietly, lips upturning in a shaky smile. There was something about that moment that just made everything _click _for him. Maybe it was feeling the movement, almost as if reassurance that there was a life inside him. There was a little being growing in him, one that he and Kendall had created. That, in itself, was amazing and he couldn't help but feel his uncertainty, his anxiety fade away. He had a little person depending on him to care for it and, no matter how much that still scared him, he knew he had to be there for his baby, _their_baby.

Kendall let out the happiest sigh as he leaned forward, pressing his lips to James' forehead. He understood why James was so emotional; he finally _got _it. He realized what Kendall had from the start; this was their baby, that they created, that depended solely on them. He kept his hands on James' stomach in complete awe at the gentle but firm kicks against his hands. It was _amazing _to feel the confirmation that this life existed inside his boyfriend.

And this pure joy at the feeling only intensified when he realized that James was finally _happy _about their baby. His excitement was no longer something he had to hide in fear of making the other boy uncomfortable; he no longer had to quickly look away when James caught him staring at his belly; he no longer had to worry about James _never _being happy about their baby. That alone was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed slowly, still transfixed on the feeling, mesmerized by the fact that it all seemed even more _real _than before. "That's our baby."


	7. Chapter 7

The past two weeks had been the greatest of Kendall's life, aside from the first two weeks of their relationship, which had been filled with shy glances, rosy cheeks and a dozen first kisses. These last 14 days had been filled with cuddle sessions, tons of kisses, and a dozen moments of feeling their baby kick.

Luckily, James' mood swings had gotten less intense, his mood no longer changing drastically in mere seconds. In turn, ever since that night they first felt their baby, James had been more comfortable with his body. He still wouldn't get naked in front of the blond but he was more than okay with letting Kendall touch his belly. He didn't mind it now when Kendall placed his hands on the curve of his stomach, which he did, a lot.

He truly enjoyed the giddy smile that spread over Kendall's lips whenever he felt the baby kick. James would've thought it would eventually get old, that it would lose its thrill but it hadn't yet.

They were resting on the couch that Friday night, in their usual position, James resting against Kendall's side, the blond's arm slung over his shoulders. It'd been a low-key night, James confessing that he was too tired to actually do anything. Kendall was more than happy to relax at home with his boyfriend, watch a few movies and cuddle.

James let out a yawn, tilting his head to rest it on Kendall's shoulder. His hand went to join Kendall's on his stomach. "I think she's sleeping in there."

"She?" Kendall questioned, glancing over at his boyfriend, who just nodded. "How do you know its a girl?"

James shrugged, hand caressing his round stomach. "I don't know, just feels like it I guess."

"I don't know," Kendall muttered, copying James' pattern over his stomach. "Feels like a boy to me."

James laughed, "That's not what I meant," he said softly, "Inside, its just...I don't know! I can just tell okay?"

"Okay," Kendall chuckled, turning his head to kiss James' cheek.

A sweet smile tugged at James' lips before he gasped suddenly. "Do we have any pickles?"

Chuckling again, Kendall stood from the couch, "I'll go check."

"The really, really sweet ones!" James called as Kendall disappeared into the kitchen. The pretty boy stretched out over the length of the couch, his head resting on the armrest.

He hadn't realized how exhausted he was until that moment. By then, he was starting to wonder why he was so tired. He wasn't doing half of what he usually did; he didn't have hockey practice everyday, or gym even. His schedule wasn't anywhere near what it used to be. He guessed it was just the baby using up all his excess energy.

Kendall reappeared a few seconds later, in the doorway. "We don't have any babe."

"Oh."

The crestfallen look on James' face made Kendall's heart ache. He smiled fondly, walking over to the couch, crouching beside it. He brought his hand up to smooth James' hair back, noting how warm the boy's skin was. "You wanna go grab some?"

Precious was the only word Kendall could find to describe the way James' entire face lit up. "Can we?" he asked, hopeful.

"Sure," Kendall chuckled, kissing James' forehead and standing up. "Let me go grab our shoes and coats."

Another five minutes and they were ready to go. Quietly shutting the door behind them, Kendall rushed down the porch stairs first, holding James' hands as he stepped down, wanting to make sure he didn't slip on the ice. The drive was a calm one, each sitting in comfortable silence, listening to the soft hum of the radio and the gentle roar of the engine.

James was going to mention Kendall's distinct lack of speeding but he just assumed it was because of the slight slickness of ice on the road. The blond was never usually this cautious about his speed. James shrugged it off, too excited by the thought of satisfying his sudden craving.

"He still sleeping in there?" Kendall asked softly, a smile gracing his lips as he reached over, placing his hand on James' stomach.

A playful smile tugged at James' lips as he glanced over at his boyfriend, rolling his eyes. "She is." He placed his hand over Kendall's, keeping it there the rest of the ride to the store.

Kendall parked towards the front of the store, shutting the car off and running around to James' side, slipping a bit as he made his way around the front of the car. Watching this, James let out a giggle as Kendall opened his door.

"Oh shut it," Kendall demanded lightly, trying to hide his smile behind a half-heartedly scowl. He held his hand out to James, holding it tightly as they walked towards the store. It was slick outside from all the ice and the last thing Kendall wanted was James to slip and fall.

James tugged his jacket further around his body, hugging the fabric to his stomach. He was glad that the later hour meant there were hardly anyone in the store. He knew that people would eventually find out; truth be told, it probably wouldn't be much longer. It was a little shocking that no one had noticed yet. Then again, he was smaller than most women at this stage.

The baby book of Mrs. Knight's that he'd been reading had said it was normal to have gained 10 pounds at this point. He'd only gained six since becoming pregnant, which was honestly surprising to him considering all the crazy cravings he'd been having lately. After the morning sickness had finally wore off, it wasn't like he had any trouble eating anymore.

Despite how small he was compared to others, he still felt like he'd put on so much weight. Those extra six pounds, plus the baby, made him feel huge. He hadn't voiced this concern yet because he felt like this was the last thing he should be worried about. He just hated how his perfect body was now essentially ruined now.

He tried not to think about it though; as they walked through the aisles of the supermarket he tried to just ignore it. Soon the excitement of getting his pickles washed over the worry about his body and, for the moment, he didn't even care about that.

Kendall chuckled at the absolute giddy smile on James' face as they checked out. He loved that James was so happy. There was nothing else in the entire world that could make him happier than seeing a smile like that on his boyfriend's face.

The second they returned to the car, James grabbed the bag, popping the jar open and eagerly digging in. A pickle hanging halfway from his lips, he extended the jar over to the other boy, offering him some.

Knowing James and how the brunette hated eating alone, he picked up one of the pickles, munching on it contently. Between the two of them, the jar was half empty by the time they finally got home. James' head was leaning against the window, eyes fluttering shut every few seconds. Kendall smiled fondly, gently patting his thigh to get his attention. "We're home babe."

"Mmkay," James mumbled tiredly, hands reaching up to rub the sleep from his eyes.

Kendall grabbed the bag from the other boy, slipping his arm through the handles. He walked around to James' side, like he did before, holding his hand and helping him up the porch steps. Unlocking the door and shoving the door open, Kendall placed his hand on the small of James' back, ushering him inside. Throwing the remaining pickles in the fridge, the two walked up to their shared bedroom, instantly removing their shoes and coats.

Vowing earlier to relax in their pjs that evening, the two were already clad in their pajamas, ready for bed. Kendall smiled fondly as James let out a big yawn, his arms stretching up as he did so. This particular action caused his shirt to ride up slightly, exposing the very bottom of his stomach.

"I'm kinda really excited," the blond confessed in a whisper, vocalizing it for the very first time, as he reached forward, his hand tracing the sliver of James' exposed stomach.

James' own lips curled into a soft smile, "I am a little too," he murmured, glancing up to meet Kendall's eyes, able to see the excitement shining in them. "I'm also kinda scared though."

Kendall answered with an empathetic gaze, understanding the other boy's concern. He gently led his boyfriend over to their bed, turning off the lights and sliding under the covers beside James.

"Everything's going to be just find Jamesy," Kendall promised, voice soft and mellow as he spoke, as if trying to coax the other boy to sleep. By the slow, steady rise of James' chest, he could tell that he was successful.

* * *

><p>Something amazing happened that next day at school; Kendall would never be able to fully express how ecstatic it made him. For probably the first time during the pregnancy and possibly the first time in his life, James stopped caring about what people thought. He still spent the same amount of time getting ready in the morning, just slightly less picking out a perfectly concealing outfit. And Kendall noticed.<p>

However slight, it was still an improvement. That morning, instead of grabbing one of his sweatshirts, James wore one of his usual shirts, a navy button up that didn't do much to hide his bump. As they drove to school, Kendall made no comment on it, just smiling to himself, his fingers laced with James.

* * *

>They were in the cafeteria when he said it, catching all three of them off guard. They were eating lunch in their usual spot. James was receiving the typical amount of girl attention but it was different this time. They were looks of surprise as the brunette brought a heavily frosted cupcake to his lips. There was speculation in their eyes, faltering between the dessert and his recently bulged stomach.<p>The strangest thing was how little James seemed to care; he seemed more enraptured with the pastry he was currently eating.<p>

"Wait, you're not going to freak out over that?" Logan questioned in shock, gesturing to the girls as they passed.

Kendall's eyes shot open wide in fear, hand making a drastic slicing motions across his throat, a desperate warning for Logan not to go there. Only he knew how drastic and scary James' mood swings could be. They can less frequently than before (luckily) but anything could still set them off. And Kendall was pretty sure that anything was what Logan had just said. His brows furrowed in confusion when all James did was shrug and nonchalantly take another bite of his cupcake.

"I've decided not to care," James replied casually, wiping the smudge of frosting from his upper lip. "Everyone will know eventually and I'm sick of hiding this bump. It takes a good ten minutes away from my hair."

Kendall barely registered the soft, fond chuckle that left his lips. He was too focused on the few beats his heart had skipped. Those words coming from James about their baby just meant the world to him. That James finally accepted their baby, that he was no longer ashamed of what they had created.

It was such a change from just weeks ago when the brunette seemed absolutely miserable because of it. To say it was nice to not have to hide his excitement anymore was a tremendous understatement. Things were definitely going to be much better from that point on.

Late night cravings were becoming too familiar to Kendall. He wondered why they couldn't be afternoon cravings. No, it was never 3pm when the cravings hit, not even 7 or 8pm; it was always much later, anywhere from one to three o' clock in the morning. And because Kendall was defenseless against the brunette, he always went out to get whatever James wanted.

This only posed a real problem on weekdays, when they had to get up early for school later that morning. On weekends, they both slept in later anyways. Even though the lack of sleep made him grumpy, he did it regardless, knowing how happy it made the pretty boy. He would do anything to see James' face light up with that breathtaking smile; it was worth it to see the absolute giddiness in his eyes. He'd easily, willingly, sacrifice sleep for that. There was no doubt about it.

That night, his craving had hit later than usual. The two of them were curled up in bed, Kendall's arm draped over James' body, like it typically was. It was nearing 3:30 when James woke up suddenly, jolting up in bed. The movement instantly woke up the blond, who took the sudden jolt as a bad sign.

"What's wrong James?" his hand subconsciously flew to the other's stomach, as if ruling out a problem with the baby. The sudden jolt must've woken the baby up too because he could feel the light kick of the baby's foot against his hand. A relieved sigh fell from his lips. At least he knew the baby was okay.

The only response he got was a sheepish grin from his boyfriend; it was James' "I want something" smile. Suddenly, realization hit Kendall and he understood exactly what was going on.

"What is it tonight?" he asked, a deep fondness residing in his exhausted voice.

The expression on James' face was a priceless mix of guilt and excitement. "Jellybeans."

* * *

><p><p>

Half an hour later found the two downstairs on the couch, a bag of jellybeans on James' lap. The brunette was munching happily on the candy, reaching over every few handfuls to give Kendall all the flavors he didn't like. The blond ate them without a single word.

His heart ached both out of fondness and guilt. Glancing to the side, he saw Kendall's head back against the cushion, his eyes shut, lips parted, taking in steady breaths. He felt bad that he kept Kendall up with all of his late night cravings, but he did look extremely cute asleep like that.

Grabbing the blanket off the top of the couch, he draped it over Kendall's body, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his forehead, before heading back up to bed.

* * *

><p>School that next day was different. From the second James walked in, he could feel eyes all over him. He was wearing another one of his button up shirts, which did little to hide his stomach. Those two girl's speculation must've gotten around already because it seemed like everyone's eyes were on him. It was like they already knew. He knew he'd said that he didn't honestly care about people knowing but it was beyond unnerving that he was receiving so much attention.<p>

He was used to it, the excess of attention but not like this, not because he was pregnant. That he was not used to. That was a completely different story. one James was no longer interested in reading, having barely finished the first chapter. He was already terrified of the ending. Luckily, he had Kendall by his side; he didn't even want to think what he'd do without the other boy.

Said boy seemed to notice when his grip tightened suddenly, squeezing his hand reassuringly in return. James turned his head towards the blond and offered him a shaky smile as they continued towards their first class, noticing but shrugging off all the eyes that followed them all the way there.

* * *

><p>Kendall had three classes away from James before they met up again at lunch. This was more than a little worrying to the blond. It was the first day of everyone knowing and he knew James was scared. He hoped there was no reason for him to be. That's what he was worried about. The couple had dealt with a bunch of bullying when they came out the previous year.<p>

Kendall didn't want a repeat of the hell they went through. The names, the fights, holding James as he cried, wondering why everyone hated him. James deserved better than that.

This buildup of anxiety in his chest was the reason his heart nearly stopped when he received the text from Logan right before lunch, demanding that he rush straight to the upstairs bathroom. Fear momentarily paralyzed him and it took a second to remember how to breathe. His feet couldn't seem to carry him fast enough. Was it the baby, what if something was wrong? The mere thought terrified him.

He made the trip in record time, flying through the door just minutes after getting the text. Logan and Carlos were standing by the last stall, the door wide open. Kendall immediately crouched before the brunette, whose eyes were red and puffy, signs that he'd been crying. One hand flew up to his cheek, the other resting on his stomach.

"What's wrong?" he asked breathlessly, half from practically sprinting here, half from worry.

James tugged his quivering lip between his teeth, eyes portraying his own anxiety.

Kendall was more than grateful when Logan spoke up to answer the question. "Some guys were giving him crap during third period," the smart boy swallowed hard before continuing. "They called him a...faggot and a freak."

Kendall's heart broke at the news. That was exactly what James was afraid would happen.

"They got a month of detention each!" Carlos proclaimed enthusiastically.

"Good," Kendall muttered under his breath, hands reaching up to thumb away the tears lingering on James' rosy cheeks. "Jamesy, look at me." He grabbed each one of James' hands, placing one on his heart while bringing the other down to his round stomach. "You feel that?"

James nodded, feeling the strong thud of Kendall's heart which in turn caused the baby to kick against his hand.

"Those are the only two things that matter. Me and the those dicks, okay? You've got Carlos and Logan, Katie and my mom too. They can't take that away from you."

James nodded in understanding, smiling as he caressed his stomach fondly. They left the bathroom minutes later, James proudly keeping a hand on his stomach. She must've known something was going on because she was going crazy. James focused on that as they entered the cafeteria, ignoring how everyone was staring at him. As soon as they were settled down with their lunches, Carlos glanced over at James, fidgeting in his seat.

"Can I feel your stomach James?"

James chuckled and nodded.

Carlos reached over, pressing his finger to James' stomach.

"Carlos, you won't be able to feel anything like that," James said, his fingers curling around Carlos' wrist, tugging his hand roughly to press it against his stomach.

"Woah!" Carlos exclaimed, instantly yanking his hand away. "That's weird."

James' face scrunched up in slight offense, lips jutting out in a pout. "Don't call my baby weird."

"No, some of James' cravings are weird," Kendall insisted, earning another pout from the pretty boy. "I'm sorry but going to the store at 3am to buy pickles is kinda weird."

"There is nothing weird about going to the store at 3am!" Carlos persisted in all seriousness. "I would love to do that!"

"You would," Logan agreed, accusingly, voice holding the slightest tone of affection.

"It'd be fun, is all I'm saying," the Latino clarified, holding his hands up defensively.

James smiled, listening to the exchange as he ate, grateful that the day went better than he originally thought it would.

* * *

>The two plopped down onto the Knight's couch, both emitting exhausted groans. James looked over at the blond, sighing.<p>"I am so sick of people touching my stomach," he groaned, "Everyone wanted to. All the girls, that one kid, Bo, who I swear has a crush on me, Mrs. Jackson, Jenny Tinkler, but I didn't let her anywhere near our baby. God, if one more person asks, I'm going to scream."<p>

Kendall put on a playful pout. "What about me?"

James smiled and grabbed Kendall's wrist, bringing his hand over and pressing it against his stomach. "You're the father, you have a right."

James' hand rested right beside Kendall's, gently caressing the curve of his stomach. "She must've really hated all the attention because she hasn't kicked much all day. And now she's going crazy."

This statement brought the biggest smile to Kendall's lips. His entire face practically just lit up. Knowing that his baby only kicked for him made Kendall so unbelievably happy. Like their baby knew who he was already. "Crazy for daddy," Kendall murmured with a grin.

James' cheeks flushed a soft pink as he smiled, pressing a sweet kiss to Kendall's cheek. "She's not the only one."


End file.
